A Rose By Any Other Name
by Ravenclaw's Redhead
Summary: Voldemort won the final battle, and Pansy realizes that a life as one of the Dark Elite isn't quite what she had expected. She becomes a fugitive with the help of someone unexpected, changing her name to Rose and hiding in the Muggle world as she attempts to piece her life back together and help the resistance take back the Wizarding World.
1. Prologue - Wallflower

Well hi! This is a fic that's been bouncing around in my head for over a year now, and I've decided that it's time to set it free! So, without further ado, have a prologue! Enjoy!

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The musicians in the corner played a waltz, polite in tone, melodious but not ostentatious; merely a soothing, rich backdrop to match those present at the ball. Security wizards were stationed at the main gates, searching those attempting to enter the Manor with a flick of their wands; the Dementors would sniff out a true threat in an instant. Inside the regal Manor the elite of the Wizarding World danced, chatted amongst themselves and nibbled at the foods presented by the various waitstaff. Leaning against the wall, a young woman surveyed the scene from the shadows. No one worried about the beautiful witch attempting to blend in like a wallflower; she was not a threat, but one of them. Some walked past, some acknowledged her, but none stopped to speak to her, and that was the way she liked it. Once upon a time, she may have joined them in their elegant celebrations, but that was a different time. Back then, she was just a little girl, blindly following her parents' opinions and never thinking for herself. Back then, she had had people to stand beside her- friends, confidantes... brothers. The woman bit her lip, shaking her head minutely at the thought. They were gone now, and it would do no good to dwell on such things. Despite years of putting up a mask to prevent any undesired emotion from getting through, the thought of _them _always broke that resolve. Feeling tears approaching, the woman quickly stepped away from the wall, her gloved hands smoothing down the lavender fabric of the skirt of her dress, and quickly but calmly left the ballroom for the ladies' room, her heeled shoes making no sound against the marble floor.

Reaching the ladies room, she ensured it was empty before locking the door. Slowly approaching the mirror, her hands came to rest on the counter separating her from her reflection. Despite the edges of her eyes being slightly red due to the approach of tears, she was lovely. The light purple dress was embroidered with flowers around the bust with a corset tie up at the back, and the skirt flared out delicately, stopping halfway down her calves. The colour complimented her fair skin and dark features nicely, particularly her dark eyes which had been decorated in silver by the hand of some well-renowned cosmetic witch. Her lips were a dull yet flattering rose colour, and she watched as her reflection tried to smile. Inhaling deeply, she began to pace, her gloved hands clenched into fists as she attempted to compose herself. She was a talented, beautiful witch in one of the most prominent families in Wizarding society, pureblooded to the last blood cell and proud of it. She was on top of the world, wasn't she? Why didn't that knowledge make her feel any better?

'_Because this is not what you had expected it to be,'_ the little voice in her head remarked. _'You are afraid, you are a pawn, and you are alone._' She shook her head, trying to dispose of the blasphemous thoughts, but deep down, she knew that her subconscious was right.

Growing up, she had always been a supporter of Voldemort and his aspirations to rid the Wizarding World of mudbloods and blood-traitors. She thought that a pure world would be the best world, and had, from the young age of eleven told everyone as much. When Harry Potter had been defeated at the end of her final year at Hogwarts, she had celebrated with the rest of the Dark forces. However, from the Final Battle on, the new world order was not what she had anticipated. As their side had all the power, Death Eaters were trying to undermine one another and as a result, things had gotten messy. Everything was cloak and dagger; no one knew who they could trust, and while anyone looking in to a society function such as this would have thought it normal and relaxed, it was anything but. She could feel the tension in the air. These past few gatherings of the elite had been particularly hard for her, as she no longer had her two best friends by her side. She clutched her heart as the tears finally fell. It hurt so badly to think of them, and she hadn't even known what had happened after they had disappeared. She didn't even know if they were truly gone! This thought suddenly hit the woman like a Disarming Spell- what if they were alive? This had never occurred to her before.

Suddenly, it was as if her mind was moving a mile a minute. All the injustices that she had witnessed, both before the war and after, were they truly all that different? The way she saw things now, she had two options: to live here in a miserable life of luxury, fearing treachery around every corner; or, to escape from this life and do her best to ascertain the fates of her closest friends or die trying. It would be brutal, if not impossible, but at this point she really didn't see that she had anything to lose. This was it, then; the decision had been made.

Wiping her eyes carefully to avoid any smudged make-up, the woman patted down the elegant brown curls piled atop her head and gave her reflection a determined look. This would be the last time that Pansy Parkinson, elite pureblooded beauty of Wizarding society, showed her face. From now on, she was not a Parkinson, not a supporter of Voldemort, but Pansy, a girl who would use every last bit of her Slytherin cunning to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was her life back.

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And so it begins! Thanks for reading, reviews are much appreciated, and I'll be aiming to get the next chapter up by Wednesday!


	2. Rose

A/N: My Rowling, I actually managed to upload a chapter according to a schedule. Times are changing! I've got the majority of this fic all planned out, and everything is blossoming nicely. *cackles* Pay attention to the flowers, my pretties, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the world of JK Rowling, I just manipulate everything in ways that amuse me. This goes for the whole fanfic!

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_/Flashback - 19 years ago/_

"_Now Pansy, darling, it's very important that you make a good impression today, alright? Your new friends will be very important men someday," Mrs. Parkinson crooned to the young girl that stood before her._

"_Will I be important too, mummy?" The girl asked, clinging to her mother's knees. Mrs. Parkinson gently pried her daughter off of her, pointing to a set of French doors leading into the playroom._

"_With luck, you'll be hanging on their arms as they rise to the top," the woman replied mysteriously, giving her daughter a little shove in the direction of the doors. The girl huffed and stomped over to the playroom, throwing the door open and stalking inside._

"_My name is Pansy Parkinson and I'm important too!" she announced to the occupants of the room, who had frozen in place at her dramatic entrance, toys still in their hands. After a brief moment of silence, the boys put their toys down and stood up, walking towards her. The blonde extended his hand to her, looking far too professional for a three year old, and she took it hesitantly._

"_I'm Draco Malfoy," he said, stepping aside so his dark-haired friend could introduce himself as Blaise Zabini. After he too had shaken hands with the girl, both stepped away from her._

"_We don't like you," Blaise declared bluntly, and Draco nodded his head in confirmation._

"_You need to leave," the blonde added, and the two boys moved forward as one to lightly push the girl out of the room, closing the door after her. Pansy's mouth fell open in shock, tears filling her eyes as she sat down in front of the door, staring at the wood separating her from the boys. This was unfair! She wanted to be important too, and she was! Nonetheless, she didn't make a single sound, even though she felt like screaming at them in her fury, as a little voice in her head told her to keep quiet. After several minutes one of the doors opened and the dark-haired boy stuck his head out, looking down at her in surprise._

"_What are you doing down there?" he inquired curiously._

"_Waiting," Pansy replied haughtily, though the effect was somewhat ruined by her sniffling and wiping her nose with her sleeve._

"_You're not crying," he pointed out. "The others always cried." Without another word, he helped her to her feet and welcomed her back into the playroom, and for the trio of three year olds, friendship was as simple as that._

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_/Flashback - 11 years ago/_

"_Don't be ridiculous, Blaise. The Parkinson line has always been Slytherin. If anyone's going to wind up in Hufflepuff, it's you!" Pansy huffed, glaring at one of her best friends._

"_The Zabini line goes back at least five generations further than the Parkinson line!" Blaise scoffed, flicking imaginary lint from his plain black robes and positively preening at his oh-so-impressive lineage._

"_I reckon both of you are whiny enough to end up in Gryffindor, and I'll be the only one left in Slytherin," Draco said, smirking haughtily before he was swatted on the arm by Pansy. Their bickering continued for most of the train ride, ending only when the boys left the compartment to change. Pansy changed into the plain school uniform, letting her mind wander. All jokes aside, she knew that they would all make it into Slytherin. All three were manipulative and cunning, but above all, they looked after one another. They would be together no matter what. As if on cue, Draco and Blaise entered the compartment, Blaise stopping to ruffle her hair as he passed._

"_You look lovely, Flower," Draco commented, adding insult to injury by using their trademark nickname for her. She stuck her tongue out at them playfully before taking a seat between them, resting her head on Blaise's shoulder and stretching her legs across Draco's lap. Biting the inside of her cheek, she hesitated, not wanting to voice the concerns she'd been having for months. Draco sighed, tapping her on the knee._

"_What's wrong, Pans? You've been worried about something for weeks now."_

"_Mother says things will be different at Hogwarts. That people don't like us, especially if… when we're Sorted as Slytherins," she began, biting her bottom lip nervously._

"_Things will be different," Blaise agreed, stroking her hair to calm her, "but we are different too, Flower. We are darker, wealthier, and purer than almost everyone. People judge us based on our families, you know that."_

"_Outside of Hogwarts people look up to our families for our titles and for our money, but here people will consider us Dark, and not to be trusted, thanks to our parents' involvement with You-Know-Who," Draco added. "In all likelihood, we will be ostracized from the majority of the school. But father has told me of the loyalty of Slytherin House; we will make friends of our own, and should all else fail, we will always have each other."_

"_We will protect each other no matter what, Pans," Blaise agreed, helping her to her feet as the trained slowed to a stop. "Stay strong when needed, protect your heart, and we will be free to be ourselves inside our House." _

_With that, the trio exited their compartment, gathering with the other first year students and sailing to Hogwarts in a small boat with Theodore Nott, an acquaintance of theirs, joining them. After a brief altercation between Draco and Harry Potter, which Blaise would tease him about incessantly in the coming weeks, the three Sorted into Slytherin, to no one's surprise, and began their journey through Hogwarts together trimmed in green and silver._

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_/Flashback - 6 years ago/_

"_Pansy? Pansy? Flower, snap out of it!"_

_Pansy blinked once, and then several more times, her jaw still hanging open in shock as her mind tried to process what she had just witnessed._

"_I…ahh…er…" she choked, shaking her head to try to remove the image that seemed to be stuck in front of her eyes, following her no matter where she looked. Taking a moment to collect herself, she settled on a single question. "How long?" she asked, her voice shaky. Her two best friends approached her hesitantly, her keen gaze noting that they were holding hands but trying to hide that little fact._

"_We got together over Yule," Blaise admitted, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand, a sheepish expression on his face._

"_But we've always felt this way for one another," Draco finished, and Blaise gave him a look of such utter adoration that Pansy felt as if she were intruding all over again. Clearing her throat awkwardly, their gazes finally left one another's as they refocused on her. "We're so sorry you had to find out this way, love," Draco added, stepping forward to lay a hand on her cheek. _

_Pansy leaned into his touch almost unconsciously, the gesture having calmed her many times over their many years of friendship. Her love for her best friends, and love them she did, was purely platonic. They were her older brothers, her protectors, her best friends. That said, she couldn't help but feel that for the first time she was separate from them, that she had lost some of their affection for her. Reading the pain in her eyes, Draco chuckled softly. _

"_Don't worry your pretty little head, Pans," he murmured, stroking her cheek lightly. "Our love for one another in no way changes the love we hold for you. You will always be our best friend." Unable to contain her relief and joy at his words, she threw herself at him, tears leaking from her eyes as she hugged him tightly._

"_I'm so happy for the both of you," she mumbled into his shirt, and he caught every word._

"_A flower for our Flower?" Blaise said, chuckling at the pun as he picked up one of the dozens of red roses the new couple had been using to celebrate their Valentine's Day. With a wave of his wand, the flower's petals turned a pale pink, and he offered it to Pansy, who hugged him in turn._

"_We'll make sure to lock up from now on, alright?" Draco said with a sly grin, refusing to meet her eyes. Pansy chuckled, until she paused and took a moment to actually look at the couple for the first time without shock veiling the scene before her. Clapping a hand over her hands, she groaned as she blindly stumbled backwards, trying to find the exit._

"_For Merlin's sake Blaise, put on some trousers!"_

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_/Flashback - 6 months ago/_

_The door to Pansy's private rooms at Malfoy Manor flew open, causing her to wake up with a jolt, on her feet with her wand in hand in an instant. Draco and Blaise had barged in, Draco hastily closing the door again and pacing in front of it while Blaise rummaged through her belongings, shrinking important objects and items of clothing and tossing them into a trunk without pausing even once to leer at her as he pawed through the drawer of her undergarments. Hmm, this was serious._

"_What's going on?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet. Blaise had finished packing, the trunk presumably shrunken down and in his pocket, and he was now pacing by the windows overlooking the gardens, waiting for something._

"_Some of the lower Death Eaters have been planning on moving up in the new order," Draco explained through gritted teeth. "They want to knock off expendable heirs and take their places in the Dark Court."_

"_But you two aren't expendable, so what's the problem?" she asked, mumbling and confused from her sleep-jumbled thoughts. _

"_You are," Blaise drawled, as if the thought of one of his best friends being the target for murder was something to be expected. Unfortunately for them, it was. While Draco and Blaise were immune to these fatal cloak and dagger games due to their money and lineage, Pansy was one of the biggest targets, mainly due to her close relationship with the Malfoy and Zabini heirs. Still, underneath his façade of nonchalance, Pansy knew that fury lay just beneath the surface, and despite the chills running down her spine at the thought of being hunted, her heart warmed as she, for the umpteenth time in her life, thanked the gods for bestowing upon her such amazing friends. _

_Her heartfelt thoughts were interrupted by the sound of splintering wood followed by a loud bang as the door to her chambers was blasted open. Draco and Blaise dove towards her instantly, shield charms being cast and melding together into one, protecting all three of them. A group of cloaked figures wearing masks stormed into the room, and at once the fighting began. For every one that Pansy Stunned, Draco and Blaise had each taken out three. Pausing as the flood of intruders funnelled in through the door, she noticed that Draco and Blaise weren't casting Stunning Spells or other varieties of spells to incapacitate their enemies as she was, and she merely watched as the Killing Curse spilled easily from their lips, sighing. Throughout their years of friendship, Draco and Blaise had done the best they could to shield Pansy from the true dangers of their world, killing twice as many so she wouldn't have to, and while she appreciated the gesture, she knew that their chivalry couldn't protect her forever. The sudden silence in the room broke through her reverie and she noticed that their enemies had all been defeated. She watched her two friends wade through the sea of fallen men and women, killing any that Pansy had Stunned._

"_Why do you have to do that?" she asked with a grimace._

"_If they try to kill you once, don't give them a chance to do it again!" Blaise said cheerfully, tossing her a cloak. She put it on quickly, and walked across the room to Draco at his gesture, watching as he pulled on a sconce, revealing a secret passageway. Draco entered first, scouting ahead, while Blaise took position at the back of the group, ensuring no stragglers would sneak up on them. It saddened her that she was so used to this arrangement, not only due to their typical Slytherin protectiveness of females, but of the fact that she needed to be protected at all. Hadn't the Dark Lord promised to make things better?_

"_Go on, Pans," Draco said, handing her a tin of Floo powder and gesturing to an Untraceable fireplace at the end of the corridor._

"_What about you?" she inquired suspiciously, panic rising in her chest at the thought of them leaving her._

"_We have to stay here, Flower," Blaise said, his eyes sad. "We'll clean up this mess and come and collect you when it's safe, alright?"_

_Feeling the devastation begin to wash over her in waves, Pansy sealed off her heart, being brave for them, and stepped into the flames, disappearing into the green fire._

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~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~

Pansy bit back a sob, her body trembling as she remembered the last time she had seen her best friends. From the moment she had decided to search for them, she had been plagued with memories of their time together, which had only served to fuel the growing flame inside of her. She would find them, or she would die trying. She stood in the centre of her room at Malfoy Manor, her eyes taking in everything from the sconce that revealed the secret passageway to the small stuffed dragon on her bed, a present from them from the first day they met. Wrapping her arms around herself and hugging herself tightly, she took a look at herself in the floor length mirror. She was dressed in a snug black shirt and pants, which were tucked into black dragon-hide boots, a gift from her friends. She had also wrapped herself in a black cloak, and now she drew her hood over her head and headed to the bedroom windows. Stealthily, she climbed down the lattice outside her window, taking care to avoid the thorns of the pink roses that wound their way through it, and landed silently in a crouch. Running faster than she ever had in her life, she darted through the labyrinth of hedges that separated the Manor from the gates, and the wards that stopped beyond them. She reached the gate, shocked that she had not been stopped, and waved her wand in a complicated movement, allowing her to pass through the wrought iron bars. Stifling a sob of relief, she turned on her heel and disapparated into the night, reappearing in a narrow alleyway of Knockturn Alley.

It was at this moment that Pansy stopped, leaning against a wall hidden in shadows, and wondered what to do next. She hadn't really considered where to go, only that she needed to leave, and didn't know who to turn to. All of her friends and allies were either missing, or back where she had just escaped from, either zealously following the Dark Lord or feeling as trapped as she had. Kicking herself for her own stupidity, she decided to move to Diagon Alley where she might find someone, anyone to help her. Just as she was about to step out of her hiding spot, she heard the quiet scuffle of approaching footsteps. Flattening herself against the wall, one hand on her concealed wand, she observed a hooded figure moving through the alley. Dismissing it as a beggar, Pansy almost walked away from them before she noticed the tell-tale brown, bushy hair of someone she never thought she'd see again, peeking out from under its hood.

"Granger?" she hissed, and the figure whirled around, her hood falling back with the sudden motion. The girl's eyes widened before she drew her wand, pointing it and Pansy's chest. With a lot more effort than expected given that she wanted to do nothing else but hex the girl for being daft enough to walk through Knockturn Alley at night alone, Pansy raised her arms into the air, keeping her wand in her pocket as a sign of peace. Surprised but still wary, Hermione lowered her wand but kept it in her hand.

"Parkinson?" she asked, her voice tired and a lot less proud than Pansy had remembered it being in school. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your…help," she admitted through gritted teeth, the mere thought of needing the mudblood for anything almost more than she could bear. The girl's eyes widened.

"What could I possibly do for you?" Hermione asked, her voice harsh.

"I've just escaped, I can't take it anymore. I need to find Draco and Blaise, and I have nowhere to go and no one to help me," it all came out in a rush, the aristocratic mask devoid of emotion failing her for the first time in her life. She didn't know why she was telling Granger the truth, why she was telling her anything, as help from the girl seemed highly unlikely. She was known as an elite member of the Dark Court, supposedly a blind follower of Voldemort's reign, and what reason had Pansy given her to believe that that wasn't true? Still, her desperate situation was causing her to throw caution to the winds, for if she didn't get help soon she'd be dead anyway.

"What?!" Granger squawked, and Pansy bit back a hiss of warning. Had the mudblood no common sense? There were spies everywhere! "Why should I trust you? You've always followed Voldemort!" she added suspiciously, raising her wand back to Pansy's chest.

Fortunately for her, Pansy had grown used to searching the shadows, and without a second thought she leaped towards the girl, pinning her to the ground and crying out in pain as the girl's hex grazed her side. Leaping back onto her feet, wand in hand, she squared off against the Death Eater that had been attempting to sneak up on them. Without a second thought, she uttered the Killing Curse with more venom than she thought herself capable of, and the Death Eater slumped to the alley, dead.

"You…you killed him," Hermione said in shock, shakily getting back on her feet. "You… saved me?"

"No thanks to your yelling, Granger," she couldn't help but saying, glaring at the girl who had the grace to blush. "I would have thought that years on the run would have taught you something to dilute your blind Gryffindor bravery. Do you trust me now?"

"Not particularly," the girl admitted, and Pansy couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. "Why did you kill him?"

"If they try to kill you once, don't give them a chance to do it again," she recited grimly, thinking of her friends, and Hermione nodded.

"I still don't trust you, Parkinson," she said sternly, "But there are ways of learning of your loyalty. I will take you to a safe house if you agree to be submitted to an inquiry when we arrive. We can't take any chances." Pansy nodded, expecting nothing less.

"I suppose I'll need to take an oath before you take me there?" she asked, knowing full well how such situations worked, and Hermione nodded, pointing her wand at her. Quicker than lightning Pansy's own wand was in her hand, and Hermione sighed.

"I just want to do some detection charms to see if you're being tracked, alright? Now come on, the longer we stay here the riskier it is for all of us." Knowing that the girl was right, Pansy lowered her wand. The charms came up clean and the oath was taken quickly, but they hadn't left yet and Pansy was worried about being found. Hermione sensed her concern.

"I'm sorry, it's just that my allies aren't going to respond very well to my bringing you here. They can be a bit…rash," she explained.

"Weasley still as excitable as ever?" she inquired, and both the girls shared a quiet laugh, surprising them both.

"You might say that. Would you mind if I disguised you? It would make it easier to keep them calm enough to explain your situation without them jumping to conclusions." Nodding her consent, she allowed the former Gryffindor to cast some charms on her, changing her chin-length chestnut hair to a longer, curlier blonde and her eyes from brown to violet. Satisfied, the girl lowered her wand, entwining their arms in preparation to apparate them. Once again, she hesitated.

"What is it now, Granger?" she asked harshly, her patience wearing thing. It's like the girl wasn't even aware of the dangers closing in on them with every passing moment!

"Call me Hermione, if you don't mind. It will make things a lot easier if we're not at one another's throats the whole time. And I was just thinking that we should give you a different name. Any ideas?"

Grang- Hermione, she corrected herself, trying to get accustomed to being on friendly terms with the girl- had a good point, and it only took one glance at her index finger, which had been pricked by one of the thorns on the rose bush during her escape, to decide on one.

"Call me Rose."

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And off they go! Thanks to all who read, and please review! Yes, I'm talking to you. You have no idea how happy your one review makes an author! Chapter two shall be up in a week, unless I'm persuaded to update earlier… hinthint.


	3. Lavender

Hmm… well, that plan to consistently update sort of fell through, didn't it? I'm only human! Still, I'm going to be getting back into the swing of things and hopefully this time I can maintain some semblance of consistent updates! For those of you who have stuck with this since the Prologue, thanks for sticking around, and for those who have just shown up, welcome! On that note, let's stop my ranting and start watching the Order's reaction when they find out just who Hermione has brought into their midst!

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**Chapter 2: Lavender**

Pansy was Side-Along Apparated with a quiet crack in the night, and upon opening her eyes (she had never been able to stay calm enough to be able to keep her eyes open during Apparition) she saw that she had been brought to what was surely the Order of the Phoenix's safe house. They were just outside a small series of dilapidated apartments, bricks fading from the weather and ivy crawling up the sides.

_Well_, she thought wryly, _I suppose there's not much else to expect, what with them having to go underground for years._

Hermione handed Pansy a piece of parchment, still biting her lip at her traitorous behaviour, and silently urged her to open it. Complying, and attempting to give the girl a grateful half-smile, she unfolded the scrap of crumpled parchment. The phrase inscribed upon it seemed to glow as her mind absorbed it.

Suddenly, there was a loud, scraping noise, and Pansy watched as the two apartments closest to them were pushed apart, and Pansy recognized the importance of the parchment- a well-executed Fidelius Charm. Pansy found herself leaning forward eagerly in anticipation. So they weren't really hiding in Muggle shacks! However, when the apartments stopped moving, and the clouds of dust cleared, Pansy was shocked to see a path through a garden of lavender. What in Merlin's name was this?

Turning, she gave Hermione and inquiring look, but the brunette merely gave her a mysterious, and surprisingly Slytherin smirk before walking down the path. Pansy followed behind, taking in the scent of the lavender, which stood on either edge of the path, the purple blooms like hundreds upon hundreds of sentries. She spotted Hermione stooped over up ahead, and observed her lifting a latch buried in the ground, revealing a small hole in the earth. The girl stood and turned to her.

"Well, it's good that you made it this far," she mused with pursed lips. At Pansy's questioning look, she continued. "The flowers have been spelled to turn orange at any sign of distrust," she explained, and Pansy gave the plants a more thorough once over, eventually spotting a swirling feeling of magic around them. Nodding, impressed at the spell, she turned back to Hermione.

"This will take you into Headquarters. I'll go first. Just stay behind me, try to answer all the questions honestly, and please, for the love of Merlin, do not touch your wand, let alone cast any spells, unless instructed to. I've no idea how this is going to play out, but any retaliation on your part will only make their distrust for you grow."

Pansy nodded silently, understanding how important proper decorum was going to be over the next few weeks, if they even accepted her at all.

Hermione stepped back from the hole, took a deep breath, and glanced at Pansy. "Wait thirty seconds before following me, and remember that your name is Rose!" With that, the girl leaped forward and disappeared down into the hole with a small 'Pop!'

Pansy began counting in her head, tugging a disguised blonde curl absent-mindedly. On the one hand, she couldn't believe her luck. Her escape was risky, and the odds of her finding Hermione, perhaps one of the only Order members who wouldn't kill her on sight, and managing to convince the girl to give her a chance at redemption was nothing short of a miracle.

(_Six…seven…eight_) On the other hand, this inquisition she was about to endure to prove her loyalty was likely to be anything but pleasant, particularly once they had discovered her true identity.

(_Fourteen…fifteen…sixteen_) However, loathe as she was to admit it, Gr-Hermione, she corrected- was said to be one of the cleverest witches of her age, and if she had believed that she was trustworthy, and that the Order would accept her if she behaved herself, then she would have faith as well.

(_Twenty-two…twenty-three…twenty-four_) If this little encounter went wrong, she'd probably be tortured if not killed outright, potentially used as a hostage, at which point she'd be killed either by the Order or Death Eaters, or turned away, where she'd be killed by Death Eaters eventually anyway. Bloody fantastic, but anything for Draco and Blaise.

Having reached thirty, Pansy leaped into the hole, briefly noticing that the latch had replaced itself above her head, and fell into darkness. Her descent was strange, as she felt that she was free-falling while the magic around her was working to soothe, giving the appearance that her fall was controlled. Eventually, she slowed, landing on the stone floor lightly. The entrance was empty save for two torches on either side of a plain wooden door. Bracing herself, she walked forward cautiously and turned the knob.

~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~

_What in Merlin's name am I thinking?_ Hermione asked herself incredulously as she Apparated Pansy outside of the Order's Headquarters. Willingly transporting a known enemy to Headquarters because they'd said they'd had a change in heart? If Pansy was even allowed in, and did anything wrong, Hermione would be slaughtered by dozens of Order members all fighting to get their wands at her at once.

Still, Hermione surveyed the disguised girl. She had said she was looking for Draco and Blaise, her two very best friends, who had been missing for months now, held captive by the very side they seemed to support. If that had been her, and she was looking for Ron and…she broke off her train of thought as her heart filled with mourning for her lost friend. If she had been in Pansy's position, she would turn traitor in a heartbeat. And, she pondered to herself as she handed Pansy the Fidelius protected scrap of parchment, even without Pansy's story, Slytherins had proven to be very surprising over the years.

Leading the girl through the newly revealed field of charmed lavender, Hermione kept ahead of Pansy as she led the way to the latch. The flowers were both a sign of love and devotion, as well as one of caution and distrust, and they were appropriately charmed to identify anyone wanting to pose a threat to someone protected by the Order. Bending to lift the latch off the ground, Hermione turned, pleasantly surprised to see Pansy behind her, the lavender flowers still their standard shade of purple. After voicing her congratulations at Pansy's apparent trustworthiness as determined by the blossoms, she gave the girl a brief set of instructions and warnings about what to do when inside, told her to wait half a minute and to remember her new identity- Hermione reminded herself to remember the girl's disguise as well- and then leaped into the hole.

Grimacing as she landed at the other end of the vertical tunnel- she had never enjoyed this entrance to the Headquarters- Hermione entered through the door. Inside, dozens of Order members were bustling about, strategizing in five places at once, dodging George's firecrackers (which would actually be an excellent bit of equipment once finished), and mumbling over Molly's cries of "who's staying for supper?" Upon spotting her, Ron, Ginny, and George ambled over with greetings. Hermione took a deep breath and hoped that this would go well…or at least not too horribly.

"'Lo, 'Mione," said George. "Where are the jabberknoll feathers?" Cursing, and only now realizing she'd never completed the errand which had sent her to Knockturn in the first place, Hermione cut right to the chase.

"Actually, I didn't manage to get them. I ran into someone else instead. Someone who wants to join us," Hermione explained. George reached into his pocket, eyeing her curiously all the while, and produced a small handful of what looked to be beans. Raising them to his mouth, he whispered something at them and then cast them to the floor. The small group of beans began hopping around all the legs of the Order members in different directions, each searching out a different Order member to deliver the whispered message.

"Where are they?" Ginny asked tiredly, and Hermione's heart went out to the girl, knowing just how painful it was to have people you cared so much about go missing. She knew the Order was trying hard to plan a rescue mission, but as things had been a bit tense lately, with the suspicion of a traitor amongst them, their strategy sessions were few and far between, and progress hadn't been made yet.

At Ginny's comment, the door behind Hermione swung open, revealing Pan- Rose, she reminded herself sternly. The girl stepped forward timidly, looking as innocent as a newborn, and Hermione applauded the woman's acting skills.

"Everyone, this is Rose. Shall we get right on with it then?" Hermione asked in the most cheerful tone she could muster, grasping the girl around the shoulders. Hopefully the friendly contact would help establish trust with the girl, whose shoulders tensed only slightly at her touch.

The crowds of Order members parted as the beans returned with those they'd been set out to find: Molly, Arthur, and Bill Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus and Tonks Lupin, and Fleur Weasley with her young daughter Victoire in her arms. All seven were staring at the girl as if attempting to see through her, and Hermione was pleased with the woman's strength as she remained innocent while refusing to lower her eyes to their inquisitive looks.

At a gesture from Arthur, the group turned and walked down a hallway, followed by Ron, George, and Ginny, and entered a room. With a reassuring smile, Hermione tugged Pansy along, hoping everything would turn out for the best.

~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~

As the door closed behind her, Pansy felt a massive wave of trepidation. The room was small and made of stone, with the door behind her acting as the only exit. The room was empty save for a plain wooden table and chair and was almost overflowing with occupants, and as Hermione led Pansy by the arm and sat her in the chair, the Order members pressed themselves closer together, forming a solid barricade between her and the door, their looming presence overwhelming as they faced her. With the exception of Hermione, every face was neutral and judgemental, and the feeling of being on trial weighed her down heavily. Kingsley and Remus stepped forward.

"Name?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Rose…" panicking, as they hadn't established a last name for her, she looked to Hermione, whose eyes were wide. Glancing at the woman's hair, which had got her here in the first place, she thought on her feet. "Rose Bru….Brunette."

"Allegiance?" Lupin inquired, looking far more exhausted than he had while teaching her all those years ago.

"The Order," While it technically wasn't true, she knew it was what they wanted to hear. Plus, she sure as hell wasn't following the Dark Lord anymore, so what other option was there? If this Gryffindor-led secret society was able to help her find Draco and Blaise, then so be it.

"Where were you prior to locating Miss Granger?"

"…Trapped, by the Death Eaters. They were plotting against my life, they took my friends who may be dead for all I know, and while they never laid a hand on me, what they've done to my mind and heart is far worse than anything they could have done to me physically." The looks of compassion and sympathy that crossed the features of many in the room encouraged her, and she saw Hermione smile, confident with her answer. The woman turned to her allies, brandishing her wand, and smiled at them, causing Pansy to have a sudden sense of dread. It was too soon to reveal her true identity! That was the only reason she could think of for Granger interrupting the proceedings, at any rate.

"Look, you all seem to believe her, and as far as I know, everything she has told you is true. The only lie that I know of-" the Order members' faces became worried at this, "- is the one that I told her to tell." With a wave of her wand, Hermione removed the illusion spells.

Pansy flinched, feeling as though a warm raw egg was dripping down her head, and struggled to keep her hand off her wand, knowing how much worse things would be if she drew it against them even in self defense. There were gasps, before a shout erupted.

"Parkinson? What the hell are you doing here?!" Ron roared, mouth agape, before he turned to Hermione. "What were you thinking? She's one of the elite followers of You-Know-Who! She can't be trusted!"

"Please, let me explain!" Pansy begged, struggling to keep her voice calm. Bill and George were physically restraining Ron, who was trying to leap at her. Despite strongly believing the man was nothing short of an idiot, she was terrified as he growled and spat curses at her.

Seeing movement from close to the floor, Pansy worried if some creature wasn't about to be set on her. As the movement moved through the adult's legs, she saw that it was Victoire, clutching a bouquet of lavender in her tiny hand and tottering over to her. Everyone froze, including Pansy as the little girl made her way over to where she was seated in the chair, and surveyed the girl. After a brief pause, the girl beamed up at her, giggling madly and offering the bouquet of flowers. Pansy timidly smiled back and slowly outstretched her hand, allowing Victoire to place the flowers into it.

"See, the flowers aren't turning orange!" Hermione said excitedly, her tone a little desperate.

"So? You're going to trust your stupid flower charm over common sense?" Ron yelled, glaring at her.

"Hermione, I'm afraid Ron is right," Arthur said in a tired, disappointed tone. "You should not have brought her here, especially without consulting others." He turned to Pansy now. "As for you, Miss Parkinson, while proper protocol has not been enforced, that does not mean you've been lying. Still, proper precautions will need to be taken. Place your hands on your head and slowly stand," he requested, pausing when she had done so. "Where is your wand?"

"In the inner pocket of the left side of my cloak," she replied promptly. While this hadn't gone ideally thus far, she hadn't been cursed at (magically, anyway, she thought, glancing at Weasley), and there was still hope for her. Regardless, she didn't have any other choice at the moment.

Hermione came bounding up to her, reaching into her cloak and procuring her wand, her lower lip worried between her teeth and tears in her eyes. The brunette passed her wand on to Lupin, who pocketed it.

"We will have to keep you in a holding cell while we decide what to do with you," Remus replied, and Pansy nodded sharply.

Two Order members she didn't recognize entered the room, grabbing her arms at the elbows, and she was hit with a temporary Blinding Charm to prevent her from seeing where she was going.

As they marched through the Headquarters, Pansy stumbling between them, she heard shouts of outrage and shock as various Order members recognized her. After a while, she heard one of the guards mutter a quick Protego, should someone try to curse at her, while the guard on her other side drew the hood of her cloak over her head, concealing her from those that hadn't spotted her yet.

They eventually reached the holding cell, held deeply underground without the protection of Warming Charms, she assumed as she was shivering even under her layers of clothing. Her sight was restored and she was pushed none-too-gently into the cell. A series of locking charms were performed (not that she would have tried to escape anyway) and the two Order members retreated back upstairs. The cell was tiny, dark, and cold, completely empty, and made of solid metal bars.

Sighing, Pansy leaned against the stone wall and sank to the floor, exhausted after the events of the night. It had only been several hours since she had been at the party, but so much had happened and her emotions more than anything were taking a toll on her. Slumping her shoulders, she murmured a quick thought to herself before drifting into uneasy sleep.

"Draco…Blaise…I love you. See you soon?"

~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~

"Oh for heaven's sake, Ron! Could you pull your head out of your arse for one moment and open your mind a little?" Ginny hissed vehemently, struggling against the urge to smack her brother. "She saved Hermione's life, for goodness sake!"

Those who had been present for Pansy's initial inquisition had remained in the room while Pansy was moved to a holding cell and after listening to Hermione's detailed account of events had been debating about the best course of action. While Ginny didn't trust the woman yet, she was willing to at least offer her a fair inquisition to give her a chance. Plus, she had heard enough about the true side of Pansy, not the Slytherin façade, from people she trusted with more than her life. Ronald, however, was proving as stubborn as always.

"It could have been staged! Why the hell would Parkinson give a damn about Hermione?" Ron seethed, his face starting to resemble his hair in colour.

"Because she needed someone to help her escape! To gain some of our trust to prove that she really was against Voldemort!" Ginny hissed, struggling not to laugh as her brother flailed around at the mention of You-Know-Who's name. "Look, I'm not saying we all accept her with open arms, but what's the harm in giving her the chance to tell her story before we decide whether or not we toss her out?"

"We've accepted people into the Order for doing far less than saving a member's life," George added, thinking along the same lines as his sister.

"They weren't Death Eaters!" Ron erupted, furious.

"We don't know that she's a Death Eater, Ron," Hermione pointed out, trying to keep the scolding tone from her voice. The short tempered redhead looked murderous, but as his siblings and Hermione seemed to be on the same page, he attempted to keep quiet.

"There are ways that we can ascertain her true allegiances," Kingsley added, attempting to placate Ron. "We have lost too many through fighting and especially through the leak in the Order… who has now been identified." The room went still.

"SLYTHERINS!" Ron exclaimed, triumphant.

"No," Kingsley said somewhat harshly. "Lavender Brown."

Incredulous looks crossed the faces of everyone in the room, none more so than Ron, who looked ready to be sick. "Lavender? There's just no way…" he croaked in disbelief.

"She was spotted in Diagon Alley on the arm of a known Death Eater, with the Dark Mark, offering important knowledge about the Order," Remus reported, having been the one to spot the woman. "We have not requested any members to go undercover in quite some time, and as you all know, we have rules against those who attempt to do so without permission. Regardless of whether or not she is attempting to gain information from their side or whether she has actually abandoned us, we now must view her as an enemy."

"We are in the process of gathering a team to find her and deal with her appropriately," Kingsley replied. "Rest assured, no one that went to school with her will be in attendance." With that, the occupants of the room left, save for Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"She was probably seduced by a Slytherin," Ron muttered under his breath.

"What is with you and condemning Slytherins? Are you still in grade school, Ronald?" Ginny asked, seething.

"Ginny, they're all Death Eater scum! Look at their parents!"

"Look at my boyfriends, you twit!"

"I am!" he roared. "Who knows what they might really be up to!"

Ginny took a step back from her brother as if he'd struck her. A look of heartbreak washed over her features before she turned on her heel and stormed out the door, slamming it shut.

"Why would you say that, Ronald?" Hermione said, hurt crossing her own face before she too left, leaving Ron alone in the inquiry room.

_/Flashback - 4 years ago/_

_Ginny ran from the Burrow, tears streaming down her face, and didn't stop until she had crossed the wards, Death Eaters be damned. Collapsing onto the grass she sobbed openly, her shoulders shaking. She knew that it had to be a lot for her family and the other Order members to take in, but she had never imagined such vehement opposition to her being in love. _

_Hearing twin sets of footsteps beside her, she tensed, even as she knew it was them. She found herself being pulled into a sitting position, leaning back against a solid chest. Arms wrapped around her waist and she felt the top of her head being peppered with reassuring kisses. Blaise was very much like a large teddy bear, always up for cuddling her and reassuring her that she was very much loved. The other member of their little trio was always a bit colder, though more direct, and he sat in front of the pair of them now, taking her hands in his._

_"It's going to be alright, Gin," Draco consoled, his grey eyes locked onto hers._

_"I'm just so sorry!" she wailed. "They said such awful things to you!"_

_"They'll come around, love," Blaise said, tightening his hold on her. "We managed to win you over with our charm, we can do the same with them!" He smiled against her hair as he felt her shake slightly as she managed to laugh through her tears._

_"We're not going anywhere, no matter how much they loathe us, we promise," Draco added._

_"I adore you both," was her only reply, and the only one they needed to hear._

_/ end flashback /_

~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~

Pansy woke up to the slam of a door and loud footsteps approaching her. Scrambling back to the corner of her cell, she feared the worst, as those steps sounded anything but friendly. However, as the source of the noise reached her, tip of her wand aglow, she identified the person as an irate Ginny Weasley.

The girl's hair was a mess, as if someone had been tugging at it, and her eyes were red from crying. The woman slumped down onto the floor in front of her, her head in her hands, the bars the only thing separating them.

Pansy approached the girl slowly. Ginny had always been strong, smart, and powerful, traits that Pansy noticed even during her days as a spoiled Slytherin at Hogwarts. To see her like this was startling to say the least.

"Weasley? What's wro-"

"I trust you."

Well, that she hadn't been expecting. It certainly didn't explain the woman's current devastated state at any rate.

"Why?"

The redhead snorted. "You're locked up in a cell in a place filled with people who distrust and even outright loathe you, and you're questioning someone's declaration of trust?"

Pansy couldn't help the small laugh that tumbled from her lips. "Fair point. But, really, why would you trust me?"

The woman took a deep breath, running a hand through her long hair. "Alright, I'm going to tell you something that is going to stir some…interesting emotions in you, I'm sure. Not that you could right now anyway, but…just promise me you won't hex me or try to attack me, and at least hear me out, okay? This isn't the way they would have wanted you to find out, and not how I'd want you to find out either."

Pansy stiffened, very on edge. Just what did Weasley know that was going to affect her so much? How could Ginny presume to know how she would react? She didn't even know her! And who were the "they" she was referring to? The Order?

"I'll do my best," was the most honest reply she could offer, and Ginny nodded.

"I'm engaged to Draco and Blaise."

Pansy couldn't help the laughter this time. She laughed harder than she had in months, trying to ignore the slightly hysterical tone behind the giggles. Ginny was looking amused, her lips quirked in a smile, suggesting that she had expected this reaction from her, but her eyes were sad. Pansy quickly sobered up.

"Don't be an idiot, Weasley. They're gay."

Ginny sighed, producing a pocket Pensieve. Quickly, she raised her wand to her temple, briefly closing her eyes as she took out a memory, the white wisp falling obediently into the Pensieve, which the woman then offered to her. Pansy hesitantly took it, still not believing the girl, and dove in, her eyes glazing over.

Moments later, the memory being short, she blinked several times, returning to reality. Ginny was watching her hesitantly through the bars, gaging her reaction. She saw the mixture of love and loss in the woman's eyes that she had seen in the Pensieve, and Pansy found herself unable to deny the truth in the memories she had seen, and that realization sent a swirl of mixed emotions throughout her. Anger and betrayal at the secret they had kept from her, happiness at the completion they felt with Ginny, and above all, a jealousy towards the redhead in front of her, which gave way to a gut-wrenching pain at the thought that she hadn't been chosen.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," Ginny's voice drifted softly through the bars, and Pansy released something that was half-laugh, half-sob. Looking up, she saw the woman reading the mixed emotions in her face. "Are you going to hurt me?" the woman asked bluntly, her voiced laced with both amusement and trepidation, and Pansy laughed outright, tears streaming down her face. Slumping against the bars, she faced Ginny with half a smile.

"I don't hate you," she began, deciding to be as honest as possible. If Draco and Blaise trusted Ginny, and she truly made them as happy as she felt them being in the memory, she would trust her as well. "I don't love them like that, I'm not jealous, but…" she drifted off, trying to figure out her emotions, "I wish I did. I want to love them, and for them to love me. It'd be easier. I could've helped them. No offence meant towards you, of course," she added hastily as Ginny raised an eyebrow at her.

"They do love you," Ginny offered. "They spoke of you constantly. You're loved as more than a sister, more than a best friend, and they absolutely hated hiding our relationship from you. They said it was to-"

"- to protect me?" Pansy finished, smiling wryly. "That has been their excuse more than once before. If it's any consolation, I understand why they love you. You've always been lethal, even at Hogwarts, and they've always been…drawn to that."

"I originally thought that they'd made you up to be someone I'd like," Ginny admitted sheepishly. "I knew we would eventually go public and that we'd have to be friends, and I thought they'd lied so I would like you. Apparently they were being honest about you though," she mused, giving Pansy an appraising look.

"Approval from a Weasley? Just when I thought my day couldn't get any more normal," Pansy muttered, and Ginny snorted, rubbing briefly at her still puffy eyes. "Why were you crying?"

The redhead glared at her briefly before sighing, running a hand through her tousled hair. "I was trying to defend you," she began, and Pansy's heart leapt at the thought of someone fighting for her. "Ronald was being as dense as always, but my other brothers, and Hermione, seem to be on our side… or at least not as opposed to the idea of accepting you as Ron seems to be. It was a similar reaction to when I told them about Draco and Blaise. The others seem to get over their initial shock quickly and then trust my judgement, but Ron… he's just so stubborn. He refused to open his mind to our way of thinking, and said something terrible about you, and them. I couldn't take it anymore and left." Taking a deep breath, Ginny closed her eyes and tried to compose herself, her eyes opening after a minute or two. "Speaking of leaving, what happened, Parkinson? Why did you leave the Dark Side now, or at all, for that matter?"

"I couldn't take it anymore. Life amongst Death Eaters was nothing like I thought it would be, but escaping didn't seem like a possibility. After Draco and Blaise…disappeared after I was attacked, I had no reason to stay. I left to find them. But, since you shared with me, I think it's time I shared with you," she trailed off, eyeing the Pensieve. After only a brief moment of hesitation, Ginny relinquished her wand, passing it through the bars to Pansy, who returned it after placing a memory into the Pensieve. The pair exchanged a nod, then the trapped woman watched as Ginny's eyes glazed over.

_/Flashback - 4 years ago/_

_Pansy burst through the door, managing to fall to the toilet before retching, followed immediately by an irate Draco and Blaise, who were trying to leash their emotions. Draco stood guard at the door while Blaise moved to soothe, holding Pansy's hair and rubbing the small of her back comfortingly as she choked back sobs, collapsing on the bathroom floor. Draco silently performed a cleansing charm, helping the girl only slightly as the horrors they had witnessed had tainted more than just her body._

"_That was despicable," she spat, anger burning through the disgust plaguing her as images of what had transpired swirled across her vision. "How could they?" she croaked, trembling even as Blaise wrapped his arms around her._

"_They've crossed a line. Blood purity agenda or not, they're approaching a genocide," Blaise growled, holding Pansy tightly as if afraid she would be taken from them._

"_I was all for purebloods ruling our world, but slaughtering innocents is barbaric," Draco added, unable to abstain from their embrace any longer and clutching the pair for dear life. "We cannot support this anymore."_

"_How would that even be possible? The moment we wavered from our loyalty we'd be attacked," Pansy questioned, refusing to even consider the possibility of a less treacherous life._

"_We'll figure something out, Flower. No matter what happens, we will stay together."_

_/ end flashback /_

Pansy watched sadly as Ginny's eyes refocused, knowing what the woman had just witnessed. Blinking several times to clear her sights of the memory, Ginny looked over to Pansy with a sigh. "What happened that night?"

"Some of the more highly ranked Death Eaters, our parents included, had successfully located a large underground group of Muggleborns and sympathizers and decided to show them their rightful place while reminding the younger generation of ours. Their methods were…indescribable," she finished, trying not to retch at the memory. The pair locked eyes, coming to an unspoken truce, before Ginny stood.

"I'm going to go back upstairs and assist my more reasonable brothers in convincing the Order of your allegiances," she announced, looking down at the woman in the cell with determination in her eyes.

"Thank you…Ginny," she began. "I just have a question…you said that you were engaged to them. Where are they?"

"Taken captive by Voldemort after they rescued you. And 'Gin' will work just fine, Pansy," was her crisp reply as she turned and marched back up the stairs without a backwards glance, leaving Pansy in her cell with only that revelation for company.

* * *

Well, there you go! Once again, sorry for the wait for those who have been waiting, and I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter should be up a week from today! Thanks for reading!


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